More than half of the states in the nation have been doing extremely well in the area of job creation and growth. Thestate of Texas has added more than 25,000 positions, and Florida added almost 22,000 to their state payroll. California has been one of the best states to notice job growth and a drop in their unemployment rate. Recent data shows that the employers throughout California were able to add 60,400 jobs, in the month of December alone. This is one of the largest single month job growth numbers seen for the state over the past three years.

A look at California’s job growth stats

Governor Jerry Brown has been boasting about his state over the past several months, even referring to the job growth as a California comeback. Based on numbers,California added jobs at a faster rate than the rest of the nation. They had a 2.9 percent faster rate than the 1.9 percent nationwide rate. In addition to job growth, unemployment rate remained about the same from November to December with 5.8 percent. The construction industry in California noticed one of the fastest growth rates, with expanded payrolls at 8.6 percent. Professional and business sectors were also up 5 percent, while manufacturing was down slightly. According to aCalifornia Solar Jobs Census report, one in three employees works in the solar industry in California. 2015 was a record breaking year for this sector as they added at least 20,000 jobs throughout the state.

Will California continue this trend?

Officials are questioning if the state can keep these numbers up, especially with the economic slowdown currently going on in China. This might have an effect on the American market, but as of right now, the state remains in a “yellow zone”. Experts believe that California is more susceptible to the China slowdown, simply because of their location. Agriculture in the area has noticed a change due to the slowdown, as export of dairy and nut products have slightly declined. Fortunately, California agriculture export only represents just above 1 percent of the state’s overall trillion dollar economy. Sung Won Sohn who is an economics professor at Cal State Channel Islands, believes that California might have hit their peak when looking at job growth. This is especially true with China’s slowdown because if China stops buying product from one country, then that country might stop buying product from locations in the United States, specifically California.

Future job growth projections

Although Sohn believes California has hit their peak, that doesn’t mean that they should expect to see any setbacks. Economist at UCLA Anderson Forecast, Jerry Nickelsburg, predicted that California’s job market would grow at a rate of 2.1 percent. His estimates have not changed, even with information about China’s slowdown. Chief Economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Robert Kleinhenz, agreed with Nickelsburg stating that the U.S. economy is doing well enough that we should see continued growth for the 2016 year.

Do you think California will remain one of the top states for job growth in 2016 or do you think another state has a chance to do better? Let us know in the comments!

A technology company in Florida called Flippbox has returned to Sacramento, California to its main headquarters. The company’s main service is mail management and cloud syncing. Since 2012, the company has made its mark in the Bay Area of California. However, after its focus on Florida to reap the lower business taxes and to partake in the robust economy claim by Governor Rick Scott, the company made the uncertain move. Soon the founders and CEO of Flippbox realized that California was a more profitable place to conduct business as evident in their bottom line. There was too much needed to get their operations off the ground in the state of Florida. It became an uphill battle for the company. Why?

No Duplication

It was very hard for the company to duplicate the level of talent and competence enjoyed at the headquarters in California. The lifestyle and infrastructure was considerably different in Florida as well. The company found out too soon that Florida was unable to offer sufficient light rail. Florida has gone to lengths in the past and now to recruit companies from California. However, California seems to be a better state to succeed in business; at least at a faster rate.

More Profitability

California has been acknowledged as the leader in profitability and innovative advancement. This is an essential consideration for all technology companies to note. California now has more than fifty Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state; in comparison to Florida, which has only fifteen. When you do the comparison, California has taken first place in the profitability category.

California Pride

California is the state that boasts stock return of 134 percent while Florida only boasts 82 percent. In addition, California offers the most inventive market globally, being responsible for a total of forty percent of the innovative performance in the U.S. economy. The state also has almost ten times the backing in new patents compared to Florida. California is said to provide authentic opportunities for businesses to succeed without the gimmicks. And for that reason, many businesses are moving back to California from other states.

Incomparable Locale

Sacramento, California provides incomparable environment, in addition to a fundamental base to operate with stable economic climate in business and a high quality of life. Over time, businesses enjoy considerable savings when making the transition from another state to California. The move back to California also adds to the value as a shareholder over the long term.

Welcome Back

Flippbox will enjoy all these benefits in the long run. At the new location in Midtown area of Sacramento, Flippbox will be central to the hub of recruitment, acquiring the best and brightest talent from various higher education institutions and bringing them into in the industry. Many in the educational community welcome the return of Flippbox. With its presence, Flippbox will open doors of opportunities for those looking for work in the technology arena. Yes, many technology students are waiting to be a part of this company’s advancement. Florida, indeed, will suffer the loss as California welcomes it.

“Being able to provide more title loans to our customers helps our company grow,” said Title Loan Direct’s president, Michael Wilson. “Our partnership with Gold Acceptance is a big move as we continue to add loan services to our company roster.”

By supplying more borrowers throughout California with loans, Title Loan Direct’s partnership with Gold Acceptance will help to spread awareness about how car title loans work in California, and the financial advantages they have to offer their borrowers.

Given the high number of different loan options for borrowers in California, the partnership between Title Loan Direct and Gold Acceptance is a significant step forward for title loans and subprime credit loans in the state of California. Their increased availability to borrowers with poor credit or little to no financial history has boosted their popularity as a loan choice for many California residents.

“The most important aspect when choosing a loan servicer is to determine how responsive they are to client needs,” says Michael. “Our company offers same-day funding and no pre-pay penalties, all of which makes the process as smooth and hassle-free as possible.”

The speed of available funds is one of the biggest draws for many California borrowers who are interested in car title loans. It allows borrowers who wouldn’t ordinarily qualify for some types of loans to have access to a faster cash resource.

Younger Title Loan Direct Makes Valuable Connection with More Established Gold Acceptance

Title Loan Direct has only been operating since 2015, but they’ve quickly expanded to feature several successful locations in the state of California. Gold Acceptance took notice of the young company’s success, and saw a valuable business opportunity to partner with them and serve a greater scale of clientele in Southern California, and potentially expand.

California car title loans work as a collateral-based loan, so borrowers’ financial history is less critical to the lending process. Auto owners who own a vehicle free of any liens can lend out the title of their car using the equity value in exchange for a faster source of funds than with a traditional loan. Many borrowers have found this and similarly-structured loans to be an easier way to secure a loan, especially when poor credit has been a disqualifying factor for them in the past when it comes to loans.

With the expanding partnership between Gold Acceptance and Title Loan Direct, more California borrowers can expect to be approved for car title loans. The selection of title loan services and products will likely expand, as well.

Wal-Mart is one of the largest retailers in the United States and for good reason. The store offers great low pricing and a wide variety of items, including groceries. It was recently announced byWal-Mart Stores Inc. that there are plans to close 269 stores, including 154 in the U.S. Nine of those stores are going to be closing throughout the state of California. This news has left many residents worried about how the closings will affect their communities.

Stores to close in California

Two stores have already closed, and five are set to close this week. The Los Angeles Wal-Mart store on Crenshaw Boulevard, the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market located in Chinatown on West Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, and store in Oakland were all closed on Sunday January 17th. Five locations set to close onJanuary 28th include stores in Long Beach, Altadena, Bell Gardens, Hawaiian Gardens, and San Bernardino. Many of the locations that are closing are not full service Wal-Mart locations, but rather Wal-Mart Market stores which specifically sell groceries.

How store closing change the community

Residents in the area where these stores closed are really worried about their communities since both areas are not in an economically good place. George Yu is the executive director of the Chinatown business improvement district and is upset to see the Wal-Mart location shut down. The specific Wal-Mart marketplace that closed in Chinatown was opened back in 2013 and was the first full-service grocery store for residents who do not have access to a vehicle. Shoppers were really upset that there is no longer a grocer within walking distance, but Yu has been working to sway another grocery business to move into the old Wal-Mart location.

Discounts and deals at other locations.

The five locations in California closing on the 28th of this month, along with the hundreds of other Wal-Mart locations in the United States, will be providing huge discounts before finally closing up. Company spokesman, Randy Hargrove, stated that there was a strong interest from the public to offer a discount in the stores set to close. Of course everything will not receive the special 50% off deal. Items such as firearms, ammunition, fuel, prescriptions, jewelry, lottery tickets, alcohol, wireless plans, smartphones, and tablet devices will all remain at their normal prices.

Wal-Mart Corporation speaks out

The company has said that 95% of the stores which closed down in the United States have another location within 10 miles. Shutting down these locations has not only affected the community, but it also makes it difficult for workers of the organization. Associates who are unable to be transferred to another store will receive severance if eligible, or 60 days of pay. The reason for the closing of stores nationwide is to make room for a bigger focus on e-commerce and pick-up services for customers. By 2017, the company hopes to open at least 50 Supercenters, 85 Neighborhood Markets, and 7 Sam’s Clubs. Seven of these new stores will open in different parts of the state including Burbank, Compton, Downey, Lodi, Red Bluff, Rialto, and Ridgecrest. Both Glendora and Riverside locations will be expanded.

Wal-Mart is looking at the bigger picture in closing down several of their stores. This definitely does not mean bad news for the business, as Wal-Mart expects to be around for a long time.

California has had some disturbing economic news in the recent past. This is as a result of the tumultuous activities in the China markets. This news is particularly alarming since China is one of California’s primary trading partners. California has had a terrible drought, leaving half a million farmland acres in fallow. The state’s business climate has received an almost bottom financial ranking.

The Prediction

Conversely, the economic prediction for the state of California has shown something else. In fact, the job market and state’s economy seems to be growing at a faster rate than the other states in the United States. This is according to a recent report indicating a noticeable and continued trend to be anticipated over the next few years. Recently, a survey was done as to finding any obstacles that would get in the way of this economic growth. Whether these obstacles are perceived or real, they pale in contrast to California’s position as a lure for sophisticated entrepreneurs, which is the nucleus for boom in technology and a trading partner with the Pacific Rim.

Simple Explanation

There is a simple explanation for all of this. People have a desire to live in the state of California because of the economic climate and relaxed setting. In addition, year round, the state has unique weather and geographical attractions that continue to attract wealthy immigrants and visitors from around the world.

Prediction of Job Market

Due to the recession, California experienced a higher unemployment rate than other states except for Nevada and Michigan. However, California rebounded quickly from the recession. According to many expert economists, the job projection for California looks good. There is obvious growth that shows consistency in outpacing the entire United States throughout most of this year and 2017. This will bring the unemployment rate below the average high experienced in recent years. In fact, some economists indicate that the rate of unemployment will be reduced to 4.8% by the time 2017 comes around. In the year 2010, the unemployment rate was more than 12%. This is a considerable difference to note.

The Regulations

Due to the regulatory environment in the state of California, many businesses find that they are almost at the bottom of the perceived rankings. In fact, California, in the past showed a ranking of 50 in the business community. The state was classified as being in deep economic trouble in the past due to the many regulations that prevented companies and entrepreneurs from doing business in the state.

Other Challenges

While all states have ups and downs in their economies and while predictions are not precise, California shows noticeable signs of improving its financial look. However, according to economists, there are some challenges in the long term structure. This is primarily so because of the pension liabilities that remains unfunded for this state as well as the serious lack in the supply of housing. For that reason, the real estate market in this state is noticeably expensive than in the rest of the nation, forcing people to live elsewhere. However, many people don’t mind traveling long distances to rewarding jobs that could put them in better financial status.

The state of California has seen a decrease in unemployment numbers over the course of the 2015 year. Being such a highly populated state, lowered unemployment numbers mean job growth throughout the state. Labor analysts were able to determine that California’s Bay Area is looking especially bright for future jobs. Employment in the Bay Area alone is looking brighter, but the state of California as a whole created a great amount of jobs in 2015.

Job development in 2015

Labor lawyer and former director of the Employment Development,Michael Bernick, said that California’s labor market did extremely well in 2015. In fact, over 400,000 jobs were created throughout the year. This is a trend that has been continuing since the recession. Since 2010 through 2015, the total number of jobs created around the state totals about 2.1 million. Back in 2010, California had an unemployment rate of 12.5 percent, and in just five years, that number decreased to only 5.7 percent. This decrease over the past couple of years might be due to a change in the workplace since the recession. Bernick said there has been a breakdown of full-time work into part-time work, contingent work, and independent contracting.

Jobs look bright in 2016

It is no surprise that with the decrease in unemployment rates and steady job growth since 2010 that Bernick says California is only expected see continued job growth in 2016. Bernick believes that there will be an increased in independent contracting positions, which might decline full-time positions with benefits. This might strengthen entrepreneurs to create more new businesses in California, which will only add to growing number of jobs available in the state. This will only allow the economy to flourish as well.

Governor Jerry Brown budget plans added to the mix

Just recently,Governor Jerry Brown came up with a plan to help reduce the state’s debt. To do this, they would add two billion dollars to a rainy day fund, to be used in the case of any unforeseen emergencies. Assemblyman, Jim Cooper, gave his thoughts about the new budget and believes the Governor has made some great plans that will continue to help with the economy and the creation of new jobs. He believes there needs to be a focus on fixing California roads and transportation needs. Investing in education will help create more of those jobs needed to continue on a bright job future for 2016.

Fastest growing occupations in California

Since job growth is looking bright in 2016, what types of jobs are expected to grow? The state of California’s Employment Development Department has a list of the 100 Fastest Growing Occupations in California, based on numbers in 2012 to the year 2022. Economists are the number one growing occupation, with a growth of 64.5 percent throughout the ten year span. The number of personal care aids is already in the hundred thousands, and is expected to grow an additional 51.8 percent by 2022. You can check out the full list of occupations by clickinghere.

As the state of California has noticed a decrease in the number of individuals unemployed, it is important to take a look at the cities, throughout the state, that are best when looking for a job. In order to determine the best cities to find a job, experts have to look at positions that are available in each area, as well as jobs that are on the rise, and those which are declining.

WalletHub Findings

WalletHub analysts completed a comparison of the top 150 most populated cities in the United States against a range of about 17 key metrics. These metrics spanned from job opportunities available in each city to the rate of employment growth. The National Association for Business Economics expects that non-farming positions will grow to over 200,000 jobs per month because the national unemployment rate has fallen to 4.7 percent. Recent college graduates are expected to see the biggest boost in both job prospects and their earning potential. The National Association of Colleges and Employers has stated that in 2015, more than 60 percent of employers wanted to start raising starting salaries for those with a Bachelor’s degree. These statistics helped WalletHub with their findings, including the best cities to find a job in California.

How WalletHub Ranks

To begin, WalletHub analysts looked at the main dimensions, which include Job Market and Socioeconomic Environment. They believe that these two categories will have the most heavy influence. Each of these two categories looked at subcategories, which had their own total number of weighted points, totaling 100. Values ranged between 0-100, with 100 being the best value. In the category of Job Market, subcategories include Job Opportunities, Employment Growth, Monthly Median Starting Salary, Unemployment Rate, Industrial Variety, Full-time Employment, Percentage of Employed Residents Living Under the Poverty Line, and Disability Friendliness. The Socioeconomic Environment category included subcategories of Median Annual Income, Time Spent Working and Commuting, Benefits, Housing Affordability, Annual Transportation Costs, Safety, Families ranking, Singles ranking, and Recreation ranking.

Each of the 150 cities WalletHub looked at was given an overall, calculated score, which allowed them to develop a ranking. To learn more about the specific calculations, click here.

Top cities in California to find employment

Making the top 10 best cities to find employment was Irvine, California which was ranked 7. San Francisco was ranked 15, Fremont was ranked 17, San Jose was ranked 46, and Oceanside was ranked 76. Irvine actually ranked 4th overall in the highest number of job opportunities. Unfortunately, cities in California such as Fresno and Stockton ranked as some of the most difficult cities to find a job and slowest growing.

WalletHub’s findings compare cities throughout the entire nation. Even though cities in California didn’t dominate the list, doesn’t mean that people in the state are going to have a hard time finding a position. In fact, WalletHub developed similar analytics in 2015 to determine California had the largest increase among 32 states, which saw their employment numbers go up. More information can be found here. Hopefully job growth will continue in one of the most populous states in the nation!

California State Senator, Kevin de León, was just in the news for his comments stating California’s job growth has been faster, compared to the nation. It is no wonder that following these statements, the California Employment Development Department has released data from surveys regarding employment in the state. The state of California has actually seen a decrease in the unemployment rate. In the month of November, the unemployment rate decreased 5.7 percent, while the United States unemployment rate remained the same, at 5.0 percent. It seems that the state, which has been working since 2010 in job recovery, is seeing great improvement.

Statistical comparisons for unemployment rates

In addition to information about unemployment rates throughout the state, the California EDD also released information regarding nonfarm payroll jobs, which showed an increase by 5,500 during the month of November, leading to a total gain of over 2 million jobs since recovery began in 2010. To really understand this comparison, you have to look at where California was at, in regards to unemployment rates, just one year ago. In November of 2014, the unemployment rate for the state was 7.2 percent. There was also a 2.6 percent increase from November 2014 to November 2015 when it comes to nonfarm jobs throughout the state. There has been consistent growth, month by month, as California is working hard to keep unemployment rates down, and job placement on the rise.

What areas is the state seeing job development?

Since the state has noticed a rise in the number of Californians becoming employed, it is important to look at what industries have helped with the increase in jobs. November was a great month for adding jobs in certain fields, and actually added a total of 9,800 jobs in a wide variety of industries. Some of these industries include construction, manufacturing, transportation & utilities, educational & health services, and leisure & hospitality services. There was a decline in jobs in other industries. November job loss came from government information & financial services, professional & business services, and mining & logging. The winner for overall yearly employment gain came from the construction industry, which added over 41,000 jobs in 2015.

Those currently unemployed in California

Although the unemployment rate has decreased, there are still thousands of people unemployed throughout the state. The California EDD also released information regarding those who receive unemployment benefits. There were 355,913 individuals, who received unemployment benefits in the month of November, which is up a little from the month of October, with 334,244 individuals receiving unemployment benefits. Although the state saw an increase month to month, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits is down from November of 2014, when almost 400,000 Californians were receiving unemployment benefits.

It is a great thing that one of the most populous states in the nation is seeing a decrease in unemployment rates and, as a result, are seeing positive job growth. Hopefully 2016 will be another great year for California when it comes to job placement and development for residents throughout the state.

California is one of the most populous states in the nation, so it is no wonder that job growth in the state might be faster than the rest of the United States. Many critics believe that because of the state’s new clean energy law, California’s economy and job outlook might be on the decline, specifically in the oil industry. State Senator, Kevin de León, believes that the new clean energy law has no effect on job growth, as the economy remains consistent.

Were Kevin de León’s statements true?

There has been a great improvement in job growth since the Great Recession when that state lost over 1 million jobs between 2007 and 2009. This job improvement has come from a housing rebound, which provided more housing and construction jobs. Economists believe that de León’s statement about California outpacing the rest of the nation in job growth to be true. California’s job growth rate is in fact higher than the country’s overall job growth. Data collected from Chapman University’s Center for Economic Research showed that in 2014, California job growth went up 3 percent compared to the previous year. The country as a whole only saw job growth at 1.9 percent from the previous year. Chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University, Lynn Reaser, also stated that California outperformed the country for 44 consecutive months. Although these are great numbers for the state, there were actually fourteen other states who also had a higher job growth rate, outperforming the country, in 2014.

Kevin de León ‘s statement open to interpretation

Although many believe that these statistics are what Kevin de León meant by the rest of the nation, others believe he could have meant something else. His specific words were “rest of the nation”, but this could have different meanings. He could be talking about the nation as a whole, or he could be talking about each individual state. If he was comparing California and looking at the nation’s job growth as a whole, then he is absolutely right in making the statement. However, there were five other states with faster job growth, with percents higher than the 3 percent California saw in 2014. North Dakota was at 3.8 percent, Nevada at 3.5 percent, Colorado at 3.3 percent, Florida at 3.2 percent, and Texas at 3.1 percent. California can’t be compared to each individual state based off of this data. The office for de León did clarify that the Senator meant that California added more total jobs than any other state, which was a faster pace than the nation.

We are going to assume that de León was in fact comparing California’s job growth to the nation as a whole. Statistics don’t lie, and the Senator is probably proud of his state, which is why he felt the need to boast about job growth and improvement throughout the state. Hopefully, job growth continues in California because it is such a highly populated state and Californians need jobs. It will also help with the great economy that the state already has.